


Bitter Orange

by yourhope



Series: Dianakko Week 2020 [4]
Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Diana’s new in school and Akko wants a friend, F/F, Foreign Exchange Student AU, set in Japan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:46:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26148904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourhope/pseuds/yourhope
Summary: When a foreign exchange student arrives at Akko’s school, she finds herself quite intrigued.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish & Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Series: Dianakko Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1895362
Comments: 11
Kudos: 144





	Bitter Orange

**Author's Note:**

> For Dianakko Week 2020 day 4: AU!

Going back to school after summer break was not something Akko was looking forward to. For starters, she was never excited to go back to school, but this time was only highlighted by the fact that her one and only friend had moved away over the break.

Of course, it wasn’t the end of the world. She was only a couple of hours away, so they could visit each other on the train whenever they had the time. Plus, in the digital age they lived in, they could still talk to each other within seconds. Still… Akko didn’t like the idea of being lonely. Sure, she could always make new friends, but the other kids at her school weren’t really her… type. In fact, every time she tried making new friends, she was reminded why she only bothered to keep one. 

But that decision only blew up in her face because now she had no one. And in her second year of high school, with all the friend groups already established, it was going to be next to impossible to find any replacements.

It wasn’t until she was at school, pouting her way through homeroom, that Akko overheard something interesting.

“Did you see her?”

“—so blonde.”

“—a European.”

Akko squinted her eyes at a group of students standing near the door, curious what they were discussing. Thankfully another person in their group came up and asked, “What are you talking about?”

“In the class down the hall,” one of them explained, “there’s a new foreign exchange student.”

That caught Akko’s attention. Maybe it was because she was so busy lamenting her situation about having to make new friends, but her first instinct was to be relieved that there was someone new she could consider being friends with instead of choosing from a list of people she already knew and wasn’t entirely taken with. 

But she knew she was getting ahead of herself. She didn’t even know this foreign exchange student. They weren’t even in the same class. And if they did meet—

“You know, she looked like she was in a bad mood. Maybe she doesn’t like it here.”

—there was no guarantee they’d be friends.

* * *

  
A few days had passed since school started back up and Akko was having no luck in her task of finding new friends. She tried, but no one really interested her that much. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, maybe one person interested her, but only because she interested everyone else as well.

Of course she was talking about the school’s foreign exchange student, that’s all anyone seemed to be talking about lately. Despite the fact that Akko had yet to see her, she heard plenty of things about her. Apparently she was quite pretty, but also intimidating, and she spent a lot of time to herself because not many people bothered her. That didn’t exactly sound like friend material, but Akko was still curious enough to want to see what she was like for herself. And maybe she also just wanted to see how pretty this girl really was because that was a comment that came up _a lot._

She also wasn’t sure what the girl’s name actually was because she already had a nickname people had given her, “Dai-dai” or something, and that was all anyone referred to her as. Unfortunately, Akko didn’t know what that could stand for. She wondered if she would ever find out.

* * *

The good news was that Akko had made it to the end of her first week back at school. The bad news was that she still hadn’t made a new friend. Oh, and she also forgot her lunch at home. And her wallet. And it was lunchtime… and she was starving.

She trudged through the hallway, moping to herself, unsure of what to do. In the past, whenever she forgot her lunch, she had a friend who would share with her. But that friend was in another city. Maybe if she begged the cafeteria workers enough, they’d take pity on her and give her scraps like she was a stray dog in an alley. She was just so hungry, she didn’t care how demeaning the picture she painted in her head was.

“ _Uwah_ ,” she heaved a sigh and hung her head in despair. She continued down the hallway that way for a few more paces. 

And then she walked into someone. Head first, she collided right into a person’s shoulder.

“ _Itai_ ,” Akko hissed, fumbling backward. She _really_ had to pay more attention to where she was going. “ _Gomen—_ ” she began to apologize. But when she looked at who it was she had bumped into, she saw what had to be the bluest eyes in the world looking back at her, and the words died in her throat.

It was a girl. One she had never seen before. Akko’s eyes traced over her face. She was blonde, with long curly tresses cascading over her face and down her shoulders. She had sharp, regal features that Akko couldn’t take her eyes away from, even though they were pinched into an agitated look, all thanks to her clumsiness. Was it normal to be this captivated by someone she literally just ran into? She couldn’t help it, this girl was just so _pretty_.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Akko said, glad she found her words so she wouldn’t look like a weirdo for just staring. “I wasn’t paying attention. Are you alright?”

“Fine,” the girl huffed. She regained her posture and straightened herself out. In one hand she held a bento, so she used the other to smooth out her clothing. Then she reached behind her to slide the classroom door she must have just come out of closed. 

That was when Akko noticed what classroom it was. Class 2-F at the very end of the hall. That was the class that got the foreign exchange student, the one everyone had been talking about. There was no doubt this was her.

Before she could walk off, Akko blurted out, “You’re the foreigner.”

The girl gave her a vexed look. “This foreigner has a name.”

Akko’s cheeks went red. She knew she had manners, how could she be so forgetful? “R-right, sorry. I’m Kagari Atsuko, but you can call me Akko. What about you?”

The girl sighed. “Diana. Diana Cavendish.”

“Di-ana,” Akko repeated, carefully sounding out each syllable on her tongue. “Oh, is that why people call you Daidai?”

Diana grunted in annoyance and averted her gaze, crossing her arms over her chest. “No. They call me Daidai because a daidai is a bitter orange. And on my first day here, someone wasn’t paying attention and walked right into me, like you just did, and spilled their orange juice all over my shirt. That put me in a bad mood and every time someone pointed out the stain, I got more and more annoyed. So everyone took it upon themselves to call me _bitter_ orange. The fact that it actually sounds like my real name made it stick.”

“Oh.” Akko’s face fell into a look of distaste. It was exactly stuff like this that made it so hard for her to want to be friends with most people at her school. They found so much joy in picking on each other, it was exhausting to be around. At least she had once been lucky enough to find one kind friend. Maybe Diana hadn’t gotten there yet. “Sorry, I had no idea that was the story. I won’t call you that if you don’t like it,” she assured. Then she flashed a smile. “Diana’s a much nicer name, anyway.”

Diana’s eyes met hers again, and though they held an apprehensive look, she unfolded her arms and the rest of her body let go of some of its caution. “Thank you,” she said the words in a quiet mixture of surprise and relief. “My other classmates haven’t been so kind.”

“Ah, ignore them,” Akko waved a hand, “They’re only paying you so much attention because you’re new. And foreign.” _And pretty._ But that last statement was more for Akko’s sake than anyone else’s. “We don’t normally get foreign exchange students here. There’s an international school on the other side of town, so they mostly go there.”

“I’m aware. But I didn’t think that was the place for me.”

Akko was about to ask what she meant by that—she was hit with the urge to keep their conversation going—when she was interrupted by a loud growl coming directly from her stomach. Diana quirked an eyebrow. 

“Uh…” Akko nervously chuckled, “Sorry, I’m just pretty hungry. I forgot my lunch and I don’t have any money for the cafeteria, so…”

Diana was quiet, but studied Akko carefully for a moment. She looked down to the bento in her hand and chewed her lip.

In a quiet voice and without looking back up, she said, “Well… I’d be alright with sharing with you. If you want.”

“Really?” Akko gawked.

“Yes, but only if you like squid. I wasn’t planning on eating it. I appreciate my host family for the food, but I’m afraid squid isn’t to my tastes.”

“Yes, yes, I love squid!” Akko shot forward with a delighted squeal and clasped Diana’s free hand in both of her own. “Thank you so much Diana, you’re a lifesaver!”

Diana’s eyes darted between their hands and Akko’s face, wide and startled at the sudden contact. Akko suddenly felt a surge of embarrassment. She’d been told on numerous occasions she was too eager when it came to this sort of thing and that’s what scared off a lot of people she tried befriending. She let go of Diana’s hand and timidly inched away. 

“Ah, sorry. But I do really appreciate it.”

Diana nodded and used the hand Akko had been holding to fiddle with her skirt. “O-of course. Just… consider it my thanks for actually calling me by my name.” 

And though the display of kindness (and Akko’s reaction to it) left her bashful, the makings of a smile could be seen on Diana’s lips. 

Akko couldn’t help but grin in return. 

* * *

“Soo, d’you know any Japanese?” Akko asked in between a mouthful of squid. 

After Diana offered to share her lunch, Akko took the chance to ask if they could eat together. She didn’t want to just take the squid and leave, she actually wanted to talk to Diana more. It was the first decent interaction she was having in days. 

Thankfully her invitation was accepted and when Diana told her she preferred to eat outside, away from her other classmates, Akko took it upon herself to lead her to one of her favorite spots. It was a patch of grass underneath a tree that supplied them with plenty of shade in the heat. And though Diana seemed hesitant to sit on the ground and get her skirt dirty, she eventually was able to make herself comfortable by Akko’s side.

Diana took a bite of rice and waited until she was finished chewing before answering Akko’s question, “Honestly… not as well as I probably should as someone in a Japanese school.”

“Huh,” Akko swallowed. “That’s tough. But you could always ask for help. Plenty of people also speak English. Like me!”

Diana sent her an amused glance. “Like you.”

“But, you know… if you don’t know a lot of Japanese, wouldn’t it have been easier to go to that international school with other English speakers?”

“Maybe,” Diana mumbled. “But… my aunt was also insistent I enroll in that school. It was recommended to her by one of her business contacts. I wanted to make my own decision, though.”

“Oh,” Akko mused, “I guess that makes sense.”

Diana paused for another bite of rice at the same time Akko bit into another piece of squid. “Plus,” she said afterward, “I liked the idea of being in a school where no one would remind me of home. I was hoping I’d feel free here.”

It wasn’t lost on Akko how Diana’s words implied she had yet to feel free. She didn’t know how long Diana had been in Japan, but she’d been in school for nearly a week—only to be teased every day. Akko couldn’t exactly say that was freeing.

“Is that why you came to Japan? To feel free?”

Diana’s gaze fell. A shadow passed over her face and Akko didn’t think it had anything to do with the tree above them. She was silent for a moment before answering, “Not quite. I was… nostalgic. I came to this city once. When I was a child. It made me so happy back then. I just… wanted to come back.”

She didn’t say anything else, but the look on her face as she appeared to get lost in a deep and wistful memory spoke volumes. And for some reason Akko didn’t entirely understand, she almost regretted asking because Diana’s response made her feel… sad. Like whatever memory Diana had, whatever happiness she had felt, was simply a thing of the past. Akko surely didn’t know all the details and she knew she couldn’t pry into the personal life of someone she just met. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that Diana had likely come to Japan with the intention of finding that happiness once again. 

And if the past few days were any indication, her search wasn’t going quite well.

Akko frowned. That wasn’t fair at all. If Diana really just wanted to be happy, didn’t she deserve that much? Didn’t everyone? She wished there was something she could do about it… 

Suddenly Akko lit up like the metaphorical lightbulb that went off in her head illuminated every part of her body. There _was_ something she could do about it. Potentially speaking, if Diana didn’t mind. But they seemed to be getting along well enough, so why would she mind? Maybe Akko was just getting ahead of herself, but would two people really sit alone together in the grass, sharing a lunch, if there was no chance they could be friends? And she really, _really_ wanted to be Diana’s friend.

Even if she _was_ getting ahead of herself, even if her assumptions about Diana were wrong, she didn’t want to be the type of person who left someone all alone if they weren’t happy. She wanted to be the type of person she’d like to have in her life if she were in the same situation. And she _was_ in the same situation. She’d been trying to make a new friend all week because she wasn’t happy being alone!

That settled it.

Akko hopped up to her feet with a huff and came to stand directly in front of Diana with her hands on her hips. Diana looked at her in confusion while Akko beamed down at her with her brightest smile.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve come to a very important decision,” she announced.

Diana’s confusion mounted. “Which is…?”

Akko leaned down so she and Diana were closer to eye level. “I’ve decided I really want you to be my friend! If that’s okay with you.”

Diana’s mouth fell open a fraction and Akko was glad she wasn’t eating, otherwise her food would have fallen straight out. Diana continued to gape at her until she was finally able to come up with words. “I-I… You… want to be my friend?”

Akko bobbed her head. “Yeah! It’ll be fun! We could hang out and eat lunch together. I could help you learn more Japanese. And we could do a bunch of stuff outside of school as well.” Her features softened and in a more serious tone, she said, “And I won’t tease you or call you mean nicknames, and if someone makes you feel bad, I’ll try to make you feel better because that’s what friends do.”

Diana stared at her in astonishment for so long, Akko thought she might have actually frozen. But then color found its way into her cheeks and brushstrokes of pink covered her face as if a painter decided she was their canvas. Akko had never been into art but in that moment, she thought she might be.

“You are… certainly an interesting person,” Diana breathed. “I wasn’t expecting to hear all that.”

Akko pulled away and reclaimed her spot on the ground, next to Diana. “Sorry if it was so sudden. And if you need time to think about it, I understand.”

They sat in silence for a moment as a cool, welcoming breeze washed over them, blowing through strands of their hair and leaves in the tree. It was such a tranquil moment of peace, and maybe that was what put Diana at enough ease to say, “That’s quite alright. I don’t need time. I don’t see any harm in being your friend. You would be my first one since I arrived in Japan, so… thank you. For wanting to be mine.”

Akko’s chest swelled and her lips spread into a wide grin. She didn’t know everything about Diana. Maybe one day, she’d be lucky enough to learn. But for the time being, she knew that this was a moment Diana deserved. She wasn’t looking at a girl who was intimidating or bitter. She was just looking at a girl who was far away from home, possibly searching for something happy. And Akko knew right then and there she would help her find it.

“Then we’re friends,” she said decidedly, and that was all it took for Diana to turn to her with a smile so genuine, it made Akko’s breath catch in her throat.

She didn’t know how everyone else could live with themselves thinking Diana was someone bitter and give her an entire nickname based off the idea. But maybe her first act as Diana’s friend should be to remind everyone that most oranges were actually very sweet.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve had this idea for a while and maybe in the future I’ll return to it because there’s a story I could tell here and I would like to go more into detail about a lot of things. But for now, it is what it is. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
